St. Petersburg Catholic making the playoffs at 3-7

[bayboy97]

I graduated from this school, and I saw that they can potentially finish 3-6 (should be 3-7, but their game against Lakeland Christian got cancelled) and still make the playoffs. How is that possible? All of the teams they’ve beaten have a combined 4 wins, and the competition that they’ve lost to isn’t that good. So how exactly can they be in the playoffs if 1. they're not good and 2. play a pretty easy schedule?

[nolebull813]

 I remember back in the day you can be 9-1 and miss the playoffs because the one loss you had was against a 10-0 team. 

 That was before that everybody gets a trophy nonsense. 

 Pretty hypocritical that you need five wins to go and play in an exhibition bowl game but you’re allowed in the playoffs with two and three wins. 

 If people are begging for change every single year than you know something is systematically wrong 

[peezy28]

Plant is going to make the playoffs too

[Perspective]

15 minutes ago, peezy28 said:

Plant is going to make the playoffs too

No guaranty, but hopefully you are right.   A very small margin between Plant and Lake Nona (the 8th and 9th teams in 8A, Region 2).  Both play teams this week that they should beat, but no guarantees that both do.  And even if they do, you've got the OWP and OOWP to factor in and that's way too much math for me to handle right now. 

[nolebull813]

Plant doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. What a sham process. Get clobbered by good teams and get rewarded for it. 

They beat the only slap dicks on their schedule and waltz into the playoffs with nothing to show for it 

what a sham process 

[Perspective]

3 minutes ago, nolebull813 said:

Plant doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. What a sham process. Get clobbered by good teams and get rewarded for it. 

They beat the only slap dicks on their schedule and waltz into the playoffs with nothing to show for it 

what a sham process 

But they did beat Wharton. 

Nole, I understand the frustration and your argument.  And I understand why you might want to make Plant the poster child for why the system is broke (in its first year) and why it needs to be fixed.  All that said, do me a quick favor and go find the team in 8A Region 2 that, in your opinion, is more deserving and would likely beat Plant in a head-to-head match-up now (not earlier in the season).  Someone's gotta fill that 8th seed spot. 

[nolebull813]

2 hours ago, Perspective said:

But they did beat Wharton. 

Nole, I understand the frustration and your argument.  And I understand why you might want to make Plant the poster child for why the system is broke (in its first year) and why it needs to be fixed.  All that said, do me a quick favor and go find the team in 8A Region 2 that, in your opinion, is more deserving and would likely beat Plant in a head-to-head match-up now (not earlier in the season).  Someone's gotta fill that 8th seed spot. 

 You are making my point for me.  Plant is terrible and non-competitive this year.  One of the worst plant teams ever in their 90 year history. 

 So the fact that you would even have to debate what team could fill their slot because the classes are so watered down and terrible shows the system is completely broken 

[Perspective]

1 hour ago, nolebull813 said:

 You are making my point for me.  Plant is terrible and non-competitive this year.  One of the worst plant teams ever in their 90 year history. 

 So the fact that you would even have to debate what team could fill their slot because the classes are so watered down and terrible shows the system is completely broken 

But understand that your original post was that Plant didn't deserve to be in the playoffs, not that the playoff system was broken and needs to be fixed (although, admittedly, you referred to the "sham process").    On that second point, we may agree.  But I was responding to what you said in your original post about who deserved to be in the playoffs and who didn't. 

Just out of curiosity, have you seen them play this year?  If so, when?  Traditionally, Plant teams get better as the season progresses.  Arguably, they didn't have anywhere to go but up this year, but about halfway through the season, they made some personnel changes that have improved their overall make-up.  And a couple of injured players are back.   And it certainly made a difference who they played the last three games versus the first six.   I'm not saying that they're an 8A state championship contender this year, but they're not "terrible and non-competitive."  At least not in my opinion, biased as it may be. 

[HornetFan]

7 hours ago, Perspective said:

No guaranty, but hopefully you are right.   A very small margin between Plant and Lake Nona (the 8th and 9th teams in 8A, Region 2).  Both play teams this week that they should beat, but no guarantees that both do.  And even if they do, you've got the OWP and OOWP to factor in and that's way too much math for me to handle right now. 

Lake Nona, Boone, and East Ridge all have winning records in that region. You should not be eligible for playoffs with a losing record.

[Perspective]

8 minutes ago, HornetFan said:

Lake Nona, Boone, and East Ridge all have winning records in that region. You should not be eligible for playoffs with a losing record.

OK.  I can understand that argument.   It's never been that way, and it might have some adverse affects on scheduling for some teams, but I can understand the argument. 

[badbird]

11 minutes ago, HornetFan said:

Lake Nona, Boone, and East Ridge all have winning records in that region. You should not be eligible for playoffs with a losing record.

Plant would beat all.  Only argument could be Lake Nona.  Lake Nona had a 20 point lead on Ocoee and blew it.  Cost them the playoffs.

[HornetFan]

1 hour ago, badbird said:

Plant would beat all.  Only argument could be Lake Nona.  Lake Nona had a 20 point lead on Ocoee and blew it.  Cost them the playoffs.

Plant beat 3 very unimpressive teams this year, two with losing records as bad as Plant's.  Lake Nona has a winning record and lost to a very good Osceola team 35-17 at Osceola. Comparing the two teams' schedules and their records, in no way indicates or looks like Plant would beat Lake Nona. Plant has under-performed this year and should watch the playoffs from the sidelines.

[badbird]

27 minutes ago, HornetFan said:

Plant beat 3 very unimpressive teams this year, two with losing records as bad as Plant's.  Lake Nona has a winning record and lost to a very good Osceola team 35-17 at Osceola. Comparing the two teams' schedules and their records, in no way indicates or looks like Plant would beat Lake Nona. Plant has under-performed this year and should watch the playoffs from the sidelines.

Lake Nona lost 35-0 to Winter Park who will miss the playoffs

lost to 4-5 Ocoee blowing a 20 point lead

They did not beat a single team with a winning record

only good game was a 18 point loss to Osceola.  Is 18 point loss good?

Look I'm not saying Plant should be in but neither should Lake Nona

[HornetFan]

3 hours ago, badbird said:

Lake Nona lost 35-0 to Winter Park who will miss the playoffs

lost to 4-5 Ocoee blowing a 20 point lead

They did not beat a single team with a winning record

only good game was a 18 point loss to Osceola.  Is 18 point loss good?

Look I'm not saying Plant should be in but neither should Lake Nona

Lake Nona lost 35-0 to Winter Park who will miss the playoffs

*  Plant lost to Armwood 38-3; Tampa Bay Tech 40-14; Bloomingdale 22-10, and Steinbrenner 49-0

lost to 4-5 Ocoee blowing a 20 point lead

* I don't think Plant ever had a 20 point lead against a good team.

They did not beat a single team with a winning record

* It's not their fault that their opposition didn't have winning records. They won 6 games as opposed to Plant's 3, possibly 4.

only good game was a 18 point loss to Osceola.  Is 18 point loss good?

* A good game is a win, and an 18 point loss is a lot better than losses by 49, 35, 26, and 41.

Look I'm not saying Plant should be in but neither should Lake Nona

* I agree that maybe neither belongs, but I would opt for a team with a winning record over a team with a losing record. Either way, I think Steinbrenner will put either one of them on a running clock early in the 3rd quarter.

[Perspective]

14 hours ago, HornetFan said:

Lake Nona lost 35-0 to Winter Park who will miss the playoffs

*  Plant lost to Armwood 38-3; Tampa Bay Tech 40-14; Bloomingdale 22-10, and Steinbrenner 49-0

lost to 4-5 Ocoee blowing a 20 point lead

* I don't think Plant ever had a 20 point lead against a good team.

They did not beat a single team with a winning record

* It's not their fault that their opposition didn't have winning records. They won 6 games as opposed to Plant's 3, possibly 4.

only good game was a 18 point loss to Osceola.  Is 18 point loss good?

* A good game is a win, and an 18 point loss is a lot better than losses by 49, 35, 26, and 41.

Look I'm not saying Plant should be in but neither should Lake Nona

* I agree that maybe neither belongs, but I would opt for a team with a winning record over a team with a losing record. Either way, I think Steinbrenner will put either one of them on a running clock early in the 3rd quarter.

HornetFan, notwithstanding the fact that all six of Plant's first six opponents will be in the playoffs this year, I understand the argument that you are making.  In short, you believe that a team with a winning (or .500) record should be allowed into the playoffs over a team with a losing record even if the team with the losing record has a higher RPI.   I respect your opinion even if I disagree with it.   I think the push-back that you would get from the FHSAA is that this would encourage teams to compile easier schedules (for those teams outside of Hillsborough County who actually get to make up their own schedules).   This is contrary to everything the FHSAA has tried to do lately to encourage teams to make more difficult schedules and play harder teams.   It also increases the likelihood of playoff blowouts in the early rounds.  I understand this probably won't change your mind, but it may make you appreciate the other side of the argument.